I
Normally Maas liked to visit Roy’s office. Since his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel he had started to collect a permanent staff of his own and they were entertaining people.
Today, though, he couldn’t quite settle down to provoking Hawkeye, who Maas thought was much too serious, or sparring with Roy, or even gossiping with Havoc, who Maas swore inhaled the latest juicy fruits of the grapevine through his cigarettes without bothering to do anything as energy intensive as listen.
At last Roy dragged him off, allegedly to have company with his coffee but more probably to prevent Hawkeye from expressing her frustration with Maas’ restlessness too directly. He’d already collected three, increasingly irritated “Junsa”s.
“So what’s up today?” Roy asked as they sat down. “Gracia break a date?”
Maas fiddled with his cup. “No. Kind of… the opposite.”
Roy was looking more amused by the moment. “Gracia demanded a date?”
“She wants…” Maas took a deep breath. “She wants to get married.”
“I’m not surprised at all. Congratulations.” Roy sipped his coffee with, Maas felt, completely insupportable calm.
“Married, Roy! She wants to get married! To me!”
“Well, I didn’t assume she wanted to marry me,” Roy murmured. “No accounting for taste I suppose.”
Maas growled, and Roy finally broke down laughing. “Maas, stop jittering for a minute.”
He glared, but did settle a bit if only because Roy so rarely addressed him that informally in public.
“You’ve been courting Gracia for months. You love her, I know you do because you mention it several times a week. She loves you, or at least Hawkeye says she does. Surely you’ve been thinking about this?”
“Well, yes, but not seriously,” Maas protested. “I mean, not this fast.”
Roy shrugged callously. “Gracia is a determined woman. When she decides what she wants it’s a reasonably foregone conclusion that she’ll get it.”
If anyone should know, Maas had to admit, it was Roy. Kindred spirits. “All right, all right, I’m resigned, I’m resigned. In a very good and happy way!”
“Probably just as well,” Roy noted.
It wasn’t until they were leaving that Maas collected himself to ask about the other thing that had been making him a bit nervous.
“Roy. When Gracia and I are married… will you stand up with me?”
Roy stunned him with the open smile that almost no one ever saw on him anymore. “Of course I will, Maas. Thank you for asking me.”
“Who else would I ask?” Maas wanted to know, relaxing.
“Armstrong?”
Maas attempted to chase Roy down the hall but was laughing too hard to catch him.
II
“Hey, Roy, you’re still trying to find that Elric guy, aren’t you?”
Roy looked up from his interminable stack of paperwork. Maas was leaning in the door. “Not that it seems to be doing much good, but yes.”
“Well, this letter came for Herbert, with his name on in. Herbert happens to be in the field, so I thought you might like to see.”
Roy found that the envelope had already been opened, seal carefully left intact. Maas was nothing if not good at his job. When he’d read the letter he simply sat for a while, gazing out the window, until Maas finally prodded him.
“So? What’s it say? And why would a man who took that much trouble to disappear write openly like this?”
“It isn’t from Hohenheim. It’s from his sons. They also seem to be looking for him.”
Maas made a face. Roy’s mouth quirked, he having already heard extensively from his friend on the subject of the responsibilities entailed by having children. He rather thought Gracia had decided to have one soon.
“I think,” Roy said slowly, “that I’ll pay a visit to the Elric family. There might be… possibilities.”
End
SWEET HOLY MARY ON A POGO STICK. I LOVE YOU. BE MY BRIDE, PLEASE? *runs off to read*
Hey, I can always go for another spouse.
And this is more than half your fault, anyway, or at least the fault of that very icon. Chapter Five is almost *entirely* the fault of that icon. Hope you like the results. ^_^
I AM SO EXCITED! I absolutely love your writing style, too! I’m commenting on all the chapters as I read them.
XD I LOVE IT SO MUCH! Please say I can add you to my friend’s list!
*blushing* Thank you! And of course you can add me if you like!
*worships you* You’re amazing! You’re spectacular! You’d better keep writing! Like now! *takes out the whip and waves it menacingly* >:D
I will, I will, honest! Only… not right this instant because I’m about to leave for a con. That’s a valid excuse… right? *smiles winsomely*
I doubt I’ll carry this particular story forward, if only because Roy and Hughes seem to have this penchant for starting over from scratch every damn time they play in my Storyspace. But I have no doubt there will be more Roy/Hughes (and vice versa).
YES! I can’t wait! GET BACK SOON! And get writing! XD
HAVE FUN AT THE CON! XD
Oh, and by the way, added you. XD Tee-hee!
*adds back*
THANKS! XD
Wouldn’t miss it for the world. You’re a riot, hon. And I heartily agree about the library books.
Damn! XD So, is it OK if I make icons from quotes in your fic? Well, if I can find any that fit on one. XD
Sure. Er, haven’t been much into the short sentances lately… feel free to edit as necessary!
XD If you have any suggestions, lemme know. XD
I’m loving this~!! *sticks in memories and rereads*
*hearts*
Woah. I loved this. I really liked the way both Hughes and Roy play with words and their dry wit… And it made me appreciate even more one of my favourite scenes of the anime, when Roy and Hughes are sitting in a bar, talking about Scar. The complicity they share as they are talking… *squeals*
Update soon!!! PLEASE!!
Oh dear. ^_^; I really didn’t intend to carry this one on any further. Glad you liked it, though! It really does seem as though Hughes must have been in on whatever Roy is doing pretty much from the start; they’re so easy with each other.
I especially like when Roy goes >.< at Hughes’ comment that he didn’t come all the way to East City to pick up a dead body.
I’m ultimately happy someone finally wrote fic with this pairing T3T << tears of joy. And such a great one too…interaction between Hughes and Roy is one of my favorite aspects of the series, and you captured that very well~.
So glad to hear you’re going to write more X3 *clings*.
[agnes]
Raven, I.DESPERATELY.LOVE.YOU!!!!111
You’re a genius… oh thanx thanx and thanx, I adore the way you write, and Hughes is SOOOoo~ damn IC *_*
Roy is cuter than ever.. and a sweet, silly pet too *_*
More Hughes/Roy… I crave them!
*worships Raven*
Had I mentioned that I love you? Well, I DO! XD
The image for my icon is © Nobuyoshi Watanabe
http://home8.highway.ne.jp/DUOBRAND/gat
*loves back* More coming! Hughes is right, you know; Roy is downright addictive when he lets his hair down…
Whoa.. I simply love your fics.. your stories, your style, YOU! ** *adds fics to memories* Can I add you to my friend list? Can I? éè *puppy eyes*
Of course you can! I am completely free-to-friend. *happy sparkles* Glad you’re liking these!
Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful, in depth and so damn in character I think I cracked my teeth on the IC. Which is good.
I can’t even begin to tell you how great that was. Smuttishness aside, those two make amazingly good freinds. And you portrayed them so well I think I could die happy now. Very good job! You have an excellent writing style that’s tasteful, beautiful and yet all the more depictive.
I hope to see more stories from you in the future! *cheers*
Ah, good; it’s hard to do IC for these two when they’re young, because we see so little of that time. Hughes, in particular, developed a bit darker than I really expected. Glad you thought it worked!
Awwww… T___T *clinghugs* That was so good. I really do like how your Roy and Hughes bounce off one another. The whole dinner-roll fiasco was the first thing I smiled at today.
And I’m loving it. <33
Good! Smiles are good. Glad to have supplied one.
They’re so cute when they snip at each other…
I know. XD You write so in-character. *worships, pays homage*
[dies]
[self-resurrects for the sheer purpose of dying a second fangirlish death]
[dies a second fangirlish death]
[from beyond the grave] AAAAAAAAAAAIEEEEEEE! &c.
Beautiful, as always. I think the part that gets me the most about the enter Roy and Hughes thing is knowing where it’s going to end up… with Gracia, and with that evil manga thing. [makes sign to avert evil eye] Not that I’m bashing Gracia, who for all I’ve seen of her is one bad-ass chick, but if you consider the fact that Hughes is going to turn into a gaga family guy, that leaves Roy out in the cold…
(and ripe for Edward to come along and snare him, but I suspect that’s another story entirely)
Now. Off to watch 21 now.
*snuggles Em*
But, yeah, I’m often tempted to write in an open marriage, but that would still leave Roy distinctly second violin. Third, after Elysia arrives. I don’t doubt that Hughes has a big enough heart to keep Roy there too, but… it would change.
And that gets us back to along comes Edward. ^__^
And to not admitting the evil manga thing… ^_^;
Had to wait till I got home to read. Was very much worth the wait though. ^_^ Thank you so very much!
*huge grin* Happy to oblige.
Mmmmm! I like this even more than Roy/Edward! Great job!
All right, another Roy/Hughes fan! Trudy will be ecstatic.
I don’t do as much of this, because they have so much less tension, so many fewer Issues to resolve. They’re so close in canon, writing it out seems… almost redundant. But they’re so cute I do it anyway.
I can see what you mean about the redundancy… but it is awfully pretty, though. ^__^
Jeez, with the fluff! This seriously made me grin. This is very Roy, but it’s also an obviously younger Roy, when he isn’t quite as cynical but he’s starting to learn. And yay for Hughes, who is sensitive and understanding without being extremely sappy. *lovelove*
As an aside, am I the only one who doesn’t know who dies yet? I’ve been putting 20 and 21 off, because I’m always happy living in denial. It’s been partially spoiled, even though most peeople have been really conscientious about marking it. Might be best to just watch them, really…. *sigh*
Grinning is good! Thank you.
Young!Roy doesn’t give me nearly as many problems as present day Roy; I like writing him.
And you can watch those two safely. I’m really expecting a death in 26, the season end. Not that 20 and 21 aren’t angstfull and won’t screw with your head… just not that way.
I RABU you *huggles your ankles and WON’T let go*
I love the way you write their friendship, the love and the trust they have in each other that doesn’t even need to be said. I love how you can make the physical aspect of their relationship (SMUT!!! ^__^) just another extension of their friendship. Gods, I LOVE!! I love how you can combine the fluff and the pain into your works with seemlingly ease. Gods, I LOVE!!
(MORE Hughes! More!!)
*clings to you*
*snoodles* Thank you!
There will be some nice Hughes in the next story, which is the next one for Success. He’s the down-to-earth one; couldn’t do without him.
I only fangirl at those who deserve it *snoodles back*
Ohh, Hughes. You are right, he’s the down to earth one. Roy can be one with the ambition, and Ed can be the one with the quest/power, but it’s Hughes that’s the one who can have the family…and the Alicia pictures.
Yeah! More Hughes!!! *happiness*
^_^ I love the friendship between the two that you portray. It’s obvious you invest a lot of precedence in the deep feelings shared between them, not mere passing time or comfort. They’re truly best friends when you write them. I repeat. I love that.
*happy* I’m with you and Terra on that one; all too often fic runs straight over top of really deep friendships in order to get to romance. That just wouldn’t do justice to these two.
Hey mate i was referred here by lysapadin, and boy am i glad i came!!
You are an exellent, wonderful, creative genius that should be pampered and loved through your entire creative existance.
Oh, and the fic was great too. ^___^
Could you write more? Please? Purty Please? Considering i’ve only seen up to epis 7 (i cheatd and dn/ld epis 19, but dun tell anyone), from what i can tell you’ve got everything spot on. Even Roy’s sort of anal retentivness….
*blushes till she glows in the dark* Thank you!
I’ll definitely be writing more, I don’t think I could pry the fma bunnies loose with a crowbar. Stuff-to-date is all up at my fic pages (http://www.alltrees.org/hybrid/writ
*Smile*
I told you I would get back to you once I finished this. I think it brilliant how you rolled the friendship into ‘understood’ yet warm sex between two OBVIOUS friends…equally how you tailored said in such a way re Maas wording towards the end about a certain individual that will come into Roy’s life….I smiled a lot when I read that line…’they would be themselves” and how you ended it…lets face it…Edward is one the way…the right fit, as written in your marvellous universe,that I will never tire of reading.
Well done. So very well done.
EP
*hearts some more* Their friendship is one of the constants in my FMA universe. So much so I had to bring Maas back from the dead, because, darn it, Roy needs him! Heck, that even made it into the Success arc, and that one’s gen. Well… gen with chemistry, I suppose. *grins*
my third time rereading this story – everything is just so…so…maas and roy, you know? It’s brilliant ^^ Everything about it is love and win XD happy holidays!
*hearts* Thank you! They make such a great pair, who can resist them?
Happy holidays to you, too!
-eeks- Im almost out of your writings to read!!! Write more please 🙂